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Former squad captain Larry D. Lee, 32, was arrested Oct. 7 and charged with third-degree theft by deception, Somerset County Prosecutor Michael H. Robertson.
"We are aware of the allegations and they are just that, allegations. Mr. Lee had a role in winding down a volunteer organization and acted on the advice and recommendations of professionals," his lawyer James A. Abate said.
"I am confident that Mr. Lee will be cleared by the investigation being performed by the Somerset Prosecutor’s Office."
The Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office got a tip that funds given to the NPRS between 2014 and 2018 were being accepted and deposited. The organization had been disbanded in 2012.
An investigation found that Lee had been accepting and depositing purchase orders for his own benefit over a five-year span totaling $10,000, Robertson said in a joint release with Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office Chief of County Detectives John W. Fodor and North Plainfield Chief of Police William Parenti.
Lee was released pending a court appearance.
Anyone with information relating to the theft is urged to contact the Somerset County Prosecutors Office Special Investigation Unit at (908) 231-7100 or the North Plainfield Police Department at (908) 769-2937 or via the STOPit app.
The STOPit app allows citizens to provide anonymous reports including videos and photos. STOPit can be downloaded to your smart phone for free at the Google Play Store or Apple App Store, access code: SOMERSETNJ. Information can also be provided through the Somerset County Crime Stoppers’ Tip Line at 1-888-577-TIPS (8477). All anonymous STOPit reports and Crime Stopper tips will be kept confidential.
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